Magdalena , Colombia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To the unaccustomed eye , a man toting 120 books while riding a stubborn donkey would seem nothing short of a circus spectacle . But for hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia , Luis Soriano is far from a clown . He is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy .

`` There was a time when many people thought that I was going crazy , '' said Soriano , a native of La Gloria , Colombia . `` They 'd yell , ` Carnival season is over . ' ... Now I 've overcome that . ''

Soriano , 38 , is a primary school teacher who spends his free time operating a `` biblioburro , '' a mobile library on donkeys that offers reading education for hundreds of children living in what he describes as `` abandoned regions '' in the Colombian state of Magdalena .

`` In -LSB- rural -RSB- regions , a child must walk or ride a donkey for up to 40 minutes to reach the closest schools , '' Soriano said . `` The children have very few opportunities to go to secondary school . ... There are -LSB- few -RSB- teachers that would like to teach in the countryside . ''

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At the start of his 17-year teaching career , Soriano realized that some students were having difficulty not just learning , but finishing their homework assignments . Most of the students falling behind lived in rural villages , where illiterate parents and lack of access to books prevented them from completing their studies .

To help bridge the learning gap , Soriano decided to personally bring books to the children .

`` I saw two unemployed donkeys at home and had the idea -LSB- to use -RSB- them in my biblioburro project because they can carry a heavy load , '' Soriano said . `` I put the books on their backs in saddles and they became my work tools . ''

Every Wednesday at dusk and every Saturday at dawn , Soriano leaves his wife and three young children to travel to select villages -- up to four hours each way -- aboard a donkey named Alfa . A second donkey , Beto , follows behind , toting additional books and a sitting blanket . They visit 15 villages on a rotating basis .

`` It 's not easy to travel through the valleys , '' Soriano said . `` You sit on a donkey for five or eight hours , you get very tired . It 's a satisfaction to arrive to your destination . ''

At each village , some 40-50 youngsters await their chance to get homework help , learn to read or listen to any variety of tall tales , adventure stories and geography lessons Soriano has prepared .

`` You can just see that the kids are excited when they see the biblioburro coming this way . It makes them happy that he continues to come , '' said Dairo Holguin , 34 , whose two children take part in the program . `` For us , his program complements what the children learn in school . The books they do not have access to ... they get from the biblioburro . ''

More than 4,000 youngsters have benefited from Soriano 's program since it began in 1990 . Soriano says countless others have been helped , too ; parents and other adult learners often participate in the lessons .

Soriano has spent nearly 4,000 hours riding his donkeys , and he 's not traveled unscathed . In July 2008 , he fractured his leg when he fell from one of the donkeys ; in 2006 , he was pounced on by bandits at a river crossing and tied to a tree when they found out he had no money . Despite these injuries , which left him with a limp , Soriano has no intention of slowing down .

In addition to the biblioburro program , he and his wife built the largest free library in Magdalena next to their home . The library has 4,200 books , most of which are donated -- some from as far away as New York City . They also run a small community restaurant .

Soriano 's hope is that people will understand the power of reading and that communities can improve from being exposed to books and diverse ideas .

`` For us teachers , it 's an educational triumph , and for the parents -LSB- it 's -RSB- a great satisfaction when a child learns how to read . That 's how a community changes and the child becomes a good citizen and a useful person , '' Soriano said . `` Literature is how we connect them with the world . ''

Want to get involved ? Check out Luis Soriano 's website at www.fundacionbiblioburro.com and see how to help .

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Teacher uses donkeys to bring mobile library to children in rural Colombia

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More than 4,000 youngsters have benefited since the program began in 1990

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Children get homework help , learn to read or listen to stories and geography lessons

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Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes